• Jorkun ran. He ran as he had never run before. Behind him in the distance he could hear them coming. Their ceaseless chattering was beginning to grow in volume as the gap began to close.

    Desperate, Jorkun charged recklessly through bushes and thistles alike, ignoring the numerous scratches on his legs. Risking a glance back, he missed his footing and tripped, rolling down the side of a hill. Lurching to his feet, he continued to run, the voices almost upon him.

    Suddenly, the chattering stopped. Even so, Jorkun continued to run, their hungry cries still echoing in his ears. He couldn't let them catch him, he had to get back to his brother in the real world.

    Not far in the distance, he saw his destination, a small tree trunk with an odd insignia carved into the side. Putting on a burst of speed, he reached out to touch the tree trunk and...nothing. Nothing happened. He was still stuck in this nightmare, a world of fears and doubts that wanted nothing more than to devour him alive.

    Pressing his hand against the trunk again, he heard the chattering start once more, this time, they were closer than they had ever been before.

    Panicking, he tried one last time to activate the stump before turning and running, tears streaming down his cheeks in both frustration and fear, What now?